


Suite Dreams

by thesaltydragon, UnfortunatelySux



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz, Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Crossover, First Meetings, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Multi, Roommates, fast burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-05-02 04:20:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14536515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesaltydragon/pseuds/thesaltydragon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnfortunatelySux/pseuds/UnfortunatelySux
Summary: Jeremy Heere, Jared Kleinman, Michael Mell, and Evan Hansen all got roomed together for their stay at a school with specializes in teaching people how to control their magic.





	1. Chapter 1

Upon the birth of Jeremiah Heere, his parents knew he was different. A small percentage of children were being born this way, the doctors told them. A dormant gene was being reawakened. To Jeremy’s father, it meant he’d have a special child, one with rare gifts and abilities—more to brag about. To his mother, though, it meant her baby was a freak. She stayed with her husband and child reluctantly, until she couldn’t take it anymore. Jeremy’s sixteenth birthday: when he finally showed his symptoms. Mr. Heere and the doctors and the teachers all called them gifts, but Ms. Trapp—as she was known after the divorce—always called them _symptoms_. A disease. Jeremy pretended it didn’t bother him. Especially when his father was so excited about his invitation to a new, prestigious school for kids like him. 

——————

Heidi Hansen knew her son would have her gifts. She was part of the rarer group of people in earlier generations whose ancient genes became active. She’d mastered them in secret, married well, and gotten pregnant. Her baby was just like her, but she never told her husband. He didn’t know she was different. When Evan Hansen was seven, he showed the first real signs. That night ended with yelling downstairs from his parents, and within the month, his father had left them. All because Heidi kept secrets. She overworked herself to provide for her son and teach him all she knew, and she was in turn overjoyed when he received his letter inviting him to a place that could teach him better. Where he wouldn’t have to be afraid of people learning their secret. He was seventeen when she felt comfortable enough to send him there. 

————

Michael Mell was born into a decent life. He had two mothers who’s love for each other was only topped by their love for him, a decent home and income, and he also had strange abilities that he had been born with. A good home life and superpowers? What more could a guy want? Even though he didn't really have any friends, he figured he would be fine bumbling his way through high school until he made it to college. At least, until he got a letter inviting him to a special power-centric school, that is.

\-----

Jared Kleinman was an ordinary guy with an obnoxious public attitude and some not so ordinary powers. His family never really brought up the powers- their philosophy was that if it was never discussed, it didn't exist. This left Jared to try to work through his issues with no help or support, more often than not ending up with him acting rather insensitive to someone. His parents didn't say anything when he got his letter. Nor did they utter a word as Jared packed up to leave.

\-----

Evan wasn’t used to meeting new people. He and his mother arrived at Howard’s Preparatory School early. When they checked in and went upstairs to unload Evan’s belongings into his dorm, they noticed he was the first of his suitemates to get there. He was glad, because he could look around without being watched. The rooms had two beds, two desks, and a television. The bathroom was shared in the middle. After a self guided tour, Heidi and Evan started putting together his side of the room. He picked the far end, by the window, so he could see outside. They put his sheets on the bed, set some pens on his desk, and unpacked his clothes. It went by faster than he wanted it to. He didn’t want to say goodbye to his mom, even if it was just for a school year. Things were about to get sad, much to Evan’s dismay, but the door opened

Jared managed to shuffle his way up to the room he was assigned easily enough, kicking the door open as best he could with the bags in his arms. As soon as the door was opened, though, he was met with a nervous looking blond kid who he assumed was his roommate. He dropped his bags by the door, smiling and waving. “Hi. I'm Jared. Kleinman. I assume you're my roommate..?”

Evan was already shaking. He thought he’d have a little more alone time with his mother. “H-Hi, yeah, um, my name is Evan.” He stuck his hand out even though they were on opposite sides of the room. 

Jared waltzed over, taking Evan's hand as he gave him a toothy smile. “Nice to meet you, Evan.”

Evan hoped his hand wasn’t too sweaty as he pulled it back. “So, um, h-hi.” He had no idea what to say. His mother had gone to make sure the elevators seemed safe down the hall. 

Jared nodded, glancing around the room. “I like your little plants,” he pointed to the small pots lining the window sill. “Cute.”

Evan’s face lit up. “You like them? I grew them myself!”

Jared smiled. “Really? That's wild!”

“You don’t think it’s weird?” Evan was worried his roommate would hate his little cacti and flowers. 

Jared shook his head. “No way, if I knew how to care for plants I'd probably get some too.”

“Oh!” Evan exclaimed. “It- It’s pretty easy, actually.”

Jared gave him a crooked smile. “I'd probably find a way to mess it up.”

“It’s pretty hard to mess a cactus up!” Evan said smiling. Jared seemed nice. He wondered what his abilities were. 

“Maybe I’ll invest in one, then,” Jared grinned.

“You should!” Evan advised. His mother reappeared in the doorway. He turned back to Jared. “Um, one- one second.” He left to say goodbye.

Jared looked around the room again, relaxing slightly. Maybe this place would be okay after all.

A voice interrupted Jared’s musings. It came from the bathroom his room shared with the one next door. “Two sinks is pretty cool I guess,” it said. 

Jared jolted in surprise, wandering over to the bathroom. “Hello?”

The voice hesitated. “H-Hello?” 

He pushed the door open awkwardly, waving. “Hi.”

Jeremy hadn’t expected to meet other people yet. “Oh, hi,” he said awkwardly, trying to stand suavely. 

Jared snorted a bit at the other boy’s awkwardness. “I’m Jared.”

“Oh, well, I’m Jeremy,” the taller boy said. “I-I guess we’re suitemates? Sharing a toilet?” Jeremy stopped himself. “Why did I say that?” he muttered. 

Jared laughed. “I guess we are! Is your roommate here yet? Mine is this guy named Evan who likes plants.”

“Oh, no, I don’t think he’s here y– He likes pants?” Jeremy raised an eyebrow. 

Jared snorted again. “ _Plants_.”

Jeremy’s face blanked. “Oh. Makes more sense.”

“So, you’re interested in sinks, huh, pants boy?”

Blushing in embarrassment, Jeremy scoffed. “I just thought two sinks was cool, shut up.”

Jared stepped closer, extending his hand as he smiled at Jeremy. “You seem nice. Good to meet you, pants.”

Jeremy gave him a weak handshake. “My name’s Jeremy. D-Didn’t I say that already?”

Jared grinned, turning away to walk back to his room. “I’ll see you later, pants.”

Michael wandered into his assigned room curiously, looking around. “Hello?”

Jeremy whipped around, knowing Jared would be gone if he turned back. “Uh, hi? Are you Michael?”

Michael jumped, turning to the opened bathroom door. “Oh! Yeah! And you must be Jeremy, right?”

“That’s me,” Jeremy said. He had to make a better impression on Michael than he had on Jared. 

Michael smiled at him, stepping into the room properly. “Looks like we’re roommates!” He paused for a second, a look of recognition passing over his features. “Oh my god they were _roommates_ ,” he snickered to himself. 

Jeremy smiled too. It was hard not to catch Michael’s peppy mood. “Oh my god, my roommate’s a vine nerd,” he said mocking his tone. 

Michael snorted. “Okay but you _recognized_ the vine, so who's the real winner here?”

Jeremy sighed. “You.”

“Exactly.” Michael beamed. “Now, Jeremy, should we like… tell each other about ourselves or…? How does this whole roommate thing work?”

“I-I really don’t know,” Jeremy admitted. “I just got called out by our bathroom partner for being surprised about two sinks.”

“Oh, are they here too?” 

“Yeah, I think they’re talking or something.”

Michael nodded. “I can say hi to them later, I guess. Did they seem nice?”

“I only met one, but the other likes plants, so how rude could he be?”

Michael laughed. “That's fair, I guess.”

“S-So do you know much about this place?”

Michael took a deep breath, dumping his bags onto the open bed. “Nope. Not a clue. You?”

Jeremy shook his head. “Nothing,” he said sheepishly. 

Michael nodded understandingly. “So, uh, mind if I ask what your powers are? Or, wait, is that rude?”

“Oh, um–” Jeremy fidgeted with his cardigan. “I don’t think it’s rude. I-I can kinda put thoughts in people’s minds? Like voices in their heads? It’s not really telepathy, it’s a little complicated.” He’d never tried to explain it before. 

Michael perked up. “Woah, really? That sounds awesome!”

“It’s n– I mean, it’s a huge invasion of privacy,” Jeremy said. 

Michael shrugged. “Just ask first or something, then.”

“I don’t think that’s...how it works.”

Michael pouted. “I still think it's cool.”

Jeremy’s cheeks were dusted with red. “W-Well, either way, you won’t have to worry about it. I won’t do it to you.”

“Worry? I'm not worried! You seem nice, I don't think you'd do anything to me. Besides, I don't mind if you use it on me.” He shrugged. “Sometimes powers are hard to control, y’know? It's fine.”

“I-It is pretty hard to control sometimes,” Jeremy agreed. “U-Um, what’s yours?”

Michael hesitated, blushing. “Oh, uh, I can, like… project things? Like thoughts and stuff. It's weird. Basically if I think about something really hard it suddenly appears like a weird mirage.” It had certainly gotten him in some trouble in the past.

“Woah!” Jeremy’s anxiety was finally going away. “That’s so cool! So like if you thought about Pac-Man–?”

Suddenly there was a strange yellow ball thing on the ground between them, about knee high. Michael blushed harder. “Ah, it happens a lot easier when it's something that I think about a lot.” Damn it, Mike. 

Jeremy stared at the apparition in awe. “You think about Pac-Man a lot, huh?”

Michael pouted. “I like old video games.”

“I do too! I’m not judging!” Jeremy held his hands up in surrender. 

Suddenly the image in front of them took on a pink tint, making Michael yelp and wave his arms through it until it dispersed. 

Jeremy tilted his head. “W-Wait, what just happened to it? Why’d it do that?”

Michael's cheeks burned. “Nothing! No reason!”

“Huh?” Jeremy was confused. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing!” Michael hated his power sometimes. “Really, it's nothing.”

“Doesn’t seem like nothing,” Jeremy mumbled. 

Michael gulped. “It's just that my thing is also connected to my, well, emotions. That's all. It's N-Nothing.”

“Oh. Oh! And you got embarrassed?” Jeremy frowned. He hadn’t meant to embarrass him.

“Uh, s-something like that.” 

“That’s still pretty cool!” Jeremy assured. 

Michael gave him a small timid smile. “Thanks.”

Jeremy smiled again. “It’s a lot cooler than mine.”

Michael shook his head. “No way! Yours actually _does_ something! Mine’s just weird illusions.”

“But they’re amazing! And you could do a lot with that!” Jeremy sighed. “I don’t like using mine.”

Michael blinked. “How come?”

“It’s kinda close to mind control,” Jeremy muttered. 

Michael's eyes widened. “Can you show me?”

“Uh– I dunno if I should, actually.”

Michael blushed again, nodding. “Sorry, yeah, that was kinda rude of me. It’s cool. In any case, you don’t seem like the kind of guy who would purposefully use his powers to hurt people, so I’m sure you’re fine.”

Jeremy winced. “I-I mean, I could show you if you really wanted,” he reasoned. He felt bad. Michael seemed like a really cool guy, and if he could get on good terms with him, maybe his year would be manageable. 

Michael shook his head, bringing one hand up to rest on Jeremy’s shoulder. “You said you didn’t like to use ‘em, I should respect that. It’s cool, really. We good? Friends?” Michael nervously asked.

Jeremy blinked. “U-Um, yeah, friends.” Well, that was easy. 

Michael smiled crookedly. “Awesome. Day one and I already made my first ever friend.”

Jeremy laughed a little. “Yeah, me too!”

Michael grinned. This seemed like it might be a good year.


	2. Chapter 2

Jared got settled in fairly quickly. Thankfully, he hadn't managed to fuck things up with Evan yet, and the pair seemed to be getting along pretty well.

Evan sat on his bed, hands folded in his lap. He turned to look at Jared, who he considered a very likely potential friend. “Um, so, where are you from?” he asked. 

Jared hummed, spinning idly in his spinny chair. “Austin, Texas.”

Evan blinked. “N-No way! I’m from Dallas! Or– W-Well, I moved to Dallas.”

“No shit, really? That's crazy! Where were you from before that?”

“Uh, I’m actually from Colorado, but we moved to Texas and then my dad went...back.” Evan coughed. Maybe that was too much information. 

Jared nodded. “Damn, who would've guessed we were basically right next to each other.”

“Th-They’re not that close, are they?”

Jared shrugged. “Same state. Close enough.”

“Texas is pretty, um, large,” Evan said. 

“Yeah but still.”

Evan shrugged, like Jared had. “I dunno, you’re probably right,” he muttered. 

Jared’s lips quirked into a smile. “So, Ev, what’s your deal, anyway? Magic-wise.”

Evan startled, but composed himself, quickly apologizing. “S-Sorry, um, I’m not used to people knowing I have– Well, anyway, I can, um, manipulate plants? Kinda dumb, I-I know, and pretty clichéd, but I’ve been working on it for a long time and there actually a lot of untapped uses for it, I think.”

“Oh!” Jared sat up a bit. “That explains why you're so good with them!” He smiled. “Mine's similar, actually! I do water,” he shrugged. “Not very exciting, I know. One of the most common.’’

“Just because it’s common doesn’t mean it isn’t special,” Evan recited, a practiced phrase. 

Jared hummed. “Maybe. It does make me wonder though, do you think they matched us up by type?”

Evan shrugged. “Maybe. So we don’t, um, destroy each other?”

Jared nodded. “I mean, they probably have to make sure they don't pair a fire and plant, right?”

Evan’s eyes widened. “That’d be awful! I can’t imagine–” His eyes darted protectively toward the plants in the window. 

Jared smiled slightly. “Yeah, they probably paired us because they knew our elemental powers were compatible. I guess you being so cute is just an extra. I wonder what our suitemates’ powers are.”

Evan blinked. He couldn’t just question Jared now that he’d changed the subject. He’d have to later. “Oh, um, right, I dunno.” He knew his face was redder than ever. 

Jared bit back a smile at Evan's redness, standing from his chair. He stretched his arms up above his head, yawning. “So, classes start tomorrow, huh? Do you have your schedule?”

“Was I supposed to get it yet…?”

Jared shrugged. “Hell if I know. I was just wondering if they'd given them out yet. Guess not.”

Evan’s breathing started to normalize. “O-Oh. I thought I missed a memo, or something.”

Jared shook his head. “They'll probably give them out in the morning. What time do you usually go to bed?”

Evan averted his eyes. “Eight?”

Jared blinked. “So early! Wait- shouldn't you have been in bed like an hour ago?”

“What?!” Evan scrambled for any sort of clock. “Did I really miss it?!”

Jared checked his watch. “It's 9:23.” 

“Oh my god, I’m gonna wake up late tomorrow and be late to get my schedule and then late to class and I’ll be on our teachers’ bad sides and they’ll be harsh on me all year and I’ll fail everything and die penniless and alone.”

Jared laughed, dropping a reassuring hand on Evan's shoulder. “Hey, I’ll wake you up if you don't get up.” he smiled. “And you're way too cute to die alone.”

This was Evan’s chance. “What, um, do you mean by that?”

Jared quirked an eyebrow. “I mean you're cute. Physically and personality wise.“

“B-But, we— We just met?”

“Yeah, but we’ve talked enough for me to get at least a basic idea of your character, right? You're sweet.”

“I’m sweet?” Evan’s voice squeaked. He didn’t have a lot of experience with other people his age. His mother had put him into an online schooling system to have more time to help him figure out his powers. 

Jared smiled, nodding. “You are.”

“I-I’m actually pretty awkward,” Evan informed. 

Jared simply shrugged. “Still sweet.”

“You’ll see,” Evan muttered. 

Jared hummed. “I think it'll be fine.”

“I really need to, uh, go to bed.”

Jared nodded, smiling reassuringly. “I'm gonna go take a shower. Night, buddy.”

Evan had forgotten about showers. He’d have to do it in the morning. His whole schedule was out of place. He nodded absently and climbed onto his bed, still in the day’s clothes. “G-Goodnight.”

\---------

Michael was deep in his DS, grimace fixed on his face. 

Jeremy looked over at him. “Losing?”

Michael huffed, eyebrows furrowed. “Bowser can suck an entire dick, honestly.”

“He looks like he wants to,” Jeremy added, laughing. 

Michael snorted, frustrated expression cracking as he laughed. He sighed, dropping the DS to the side. “Damn it.”

“What’s up, dude? Why’s Bowser beating your ass?”

Michael laughed again, but then pouted. “I think he's cheating.”

“How could he cheat? He’s part of the game.” Jeremy tilted his head. 

“It's the only possibility, Jere. Bowser has become sentient and is now cheating.”

“That’d be kinda cool, dude.” Jeremy walked over to Michael’s bed. 

“It would be apocalypse level anarchy, is what it would be.”

“Well. Kinda cool,” Jeremy repeated. 

“Mhm,” Michael nodded. “Cool in a hellish Bowser-centric world.”

“We can’t afford that. So let’s hope Bowser stays in the game.” Jeremy smiled. 

Michael smiled. “Do you wanna try?” He nodded towards the DS.

Jeremy shrugged. “I could try my luck against evil Bowser.”

Michael scooted over to make room for Jeremy on his bed, patting the space beside him. 

Jeremy climbed up, taking the DS. “I’ll show you how it’s done.”

Michael snorted, leaning over to watch. “Better live up to your talk, Heere.”

“I always do!” Jeremy started his level. 

Michael watched quietly, occasionally making a playful jab at Jeremy's abilities whenever he got killed and set back.

Eventually, Jeremy groaned in frustration. “What the hell?! This is impossible!”

Michael nodded solemnly. “Then it's true. He's sentient.”

“I’ve beaten this game three times on my own DS!” Jeremy dropped the console. “This is bullshit.”

Michael laughed. “I told you!”

“It’s not like I _didn’t_ believe you!”

“You just _believed_ that you could do it better.” Michael laughed. “Fucking Bowser though, right?”

“I hate Bowser. Scratch that tattoo idea.” Jeremy pouted. 

Randomly, a fuzzy mirage started forming beside the bed, but Michael quickly yelped and shooed it away as he turned bright red. “Tattoo, huh?” He started awkwardly, trying to distract from the almost image. “I was thinking about getting a Pac-Man one some day.”

“So was I! On my forearm!” Jeremy tried to pretend he wasn’t curious about the image that Michael shooed away too quickly, but he knew his expression probably betrayed him. 

Michael ignored the curiosity in Jeremy's expression, nodding. “Yeah! Maybe we could go out together sometime and both get one!” Fuck, wait, was that a weird thing to say?

“A parlour near where I live does a two for one special discount!” Jeremy offered. “It’s for couples, but I’m sure friends work too.”

Michael gave Jeremy a crooked smile, laughing a bit. “We could always say we're together,” he laughed. He was only slightly kidding.

Jeremy shrugged. “I guess we could,” he said simply. “It’s only New Jersey anyway.”

Michael tried to hide how excited he was when Jeremy didn't flat out reject the idea of dating a boy. “Yeah, I mean, it's fine. No one cares, really.” 

“Everything’s legal in New Jersey,” Jeremy said, smiling. He figured there would be a lot of half manifested images he’d never get to see. No use asking about it, especially since time had passed. 

Michael grinned back, nodding. “Exactly.” He paused, checking the time on his phone. “It's getting pretty late, my dude. First day is tomorrow. We should probably hit the hay.”

“Wait, class is tomorrow?!” 

Michael blinked. “Yeah? When did you think it was?”

“I dunno! I’m so out of it!” Jeremy threw his hands up. 

“Bowser really fucked you up, huh?”

“He really did!”

Michael laughed again. “I think it's bedtime.”

“If class is tomorrow, it’s definitely bedtime.”

Michael patted Jeremy's back. “Yeah.”

Jeremy sighed. “Starting the year off badly already.”

“I'm sure it'll be fine.” He pressed a kiss to Jeremy's cheek. “Now go get to bed, dork.”

Jeremy blinked. “Wow, I really am out it.” He could have sworn his hot new roommate had just kissed his cheek. “Goodnight?”

Michael grinned. “Yeah. You know to go to bed you have to actually get in bed, right?”

“Dammit, what’s wrong with me?!” Jeremy threw himself off of Michael’s bed and then onto his own. “I’m sorry this is your first impression of me.”

Michael shook his head. “Don't be. You're cute and funny, what else could a guy want?”

Jeremy felt his face flush. “W-Well– Goodnight!”

“Sleep tight,” Michael chirped, switching off the overhead light. There was still a faint glow from the cracked bathroom door, so the room wasn't completely dark.

—————

Despite his worries, Evan woke up at 5:45 in the morning, ready for class. He must have forgotten he had a roommate for a minute, though, because he turned on the overhead lights without warning.

Jared groaned slightly, burying his face in the pillow. “Mornin’.”

Evan jumped. “Oh!” He caught his breath. “S-Sorry, forgot you were here. Um– Good morning.”

Jared chuckled into his pillow. “Told you you wouldn't sleep in,” he murmured. 

“Oh god, I’m so sorry–” Evan turned the lights off. “You can go back to sleep.”

Jared laughed again, rolling over and sitting up. “What time is it?”

Evan checked the time on his phone. “Uh– Almost six?” he offered in shame. 

“Early riser,” he observed, kicking off his blankets. “You can turn 'em back on. It's fine.”

“S-Sorry, I guess my body’s used to the sunrise.” Evan, like his plants, thrived off of sunlight. He didn’t turn the lights back on. 

Jared chuckled, standing up and stretching. “Well, good morning. Did you sleep okay?”

“I guess I did,” Evan murmured. “Y-You?”

“I did indeed.” Jared gave Evan a crooked grin as he pulled open the curtain to let in the sunlight.

Evan didn’t flinch or shield his eyes from the sudden light; instead, he stared out at it. “Wow,” he marveled. “Pretty.”

Jared smiled, looking at Evan. “Yeah.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still building relationships and stuff. Also yeah this is gonna be some fast burn shit

Evan awoke to the slightest sunlight peeking through the window. He instantly stood up, stretching. He must have been out of it, because he turned on the overhead lights without warning.

Jared groaned slightly, burying his face in the pillow. “Mornin’.”

Evan jumped. “Oh!” He caught his breath. “S-Sorry, forgot you were here. Um– Good morning.”

Jared chuckled into his pillow. “Told you you wouldn't sleep in,” he murmured. 

“Oh god, I’m so sorry–” Evan turned the lights off. “You can go back to sleep.”

Jared laughed again, rolling over and sitting up. “What time is it?”

Evan checked the time on his phone. “Uh– Almost six?” he offered in shame. 

“Early riser,” he observed, kicking off his blankets. “You can turn 'em back on. It's fine.”

“S-Sorry, I guess my body’s used to the sunrise.” Evan, like his plants, thrived off of sunlight. He didn’t turn the lights back on. 

Jared chuckled, standing up and stretching. “Well, good morning. Did you sleep okay?”

“I guess I did,” Evan murmured. “Y-You?”

“I did indeed.” Jared gave Evan a crooked grin as he pulled open the curtain to let in the sunlight.

Evan didn’t flinch or shield his eyes from the sudden light; instead, he stared out at it. “Wow,” he marveled. “Pretty.”

Jared smiled, looking at Evan. “Yeah.”

“I-I could get used to this.” Evan kept watching out the window. 

“Me too.”

“D-Does this place do breakfast?” Evan asked nervously. 

Jared shrugged. “I assume so.”

“D-Did you maybe wanna go and, um, get some with me?”

Jared grinned, nodding. “Totally!”

Evan sighed in relief. “Oh, thank god. I-I didn’t want to go alone, and you’re cool, so I thought maybe– It doesn’t matter because you said yes anyway, and I’m rambling for no reason!”

Jared chuckled. “Just give me a second to change pants.”

“Oh, right, yeah.” Evan planned on going down in his pjs. 

Jared didn't leave the room, he just pulled his sweatpants off and tugged on some jeans over his boxers, turning to Evan with a thumbs up. “Ok, now I'm ready.”

Evan blinked. He’d never seen someone so open with...changing in front of another person. No matter. He shoved the thought away and trudged to the door. 

Jared followed behind, yawning a bit. “Did you have any interesting dreams?”

“Me?” Evan asked, on instinct. “Oh, I’m the only pers– No, not really. How about you?”

Jared shrugged. “Can't really remember.”

“Heavy sleeper?”

“Sometimes. Do you like breakfast foods? I mean, I assume so, but, y’know.”

“Uh, yeah, I like pancakes? And eggs.”

Jared hummed. “Small talk is hard, huh?”

“I-It really is,” Evan agreed. 

Jared bumped Evan's shoulder with his own, lightly. “Let's not do that then. Tell me about yourself, Evan. Anyone special waiting for you back home?”

Evan awkwardly shifted on his feet. “My mom?”

“No girlfriend? Boyfriend?”

“Oh, um–” Evan turned a little red. “No, nothing like that.”

Jared nodded, biting his lip. “Me neither. Not yet, at least.”

“Oh?” That intrigued Evan, but he wasn’t a hundred percent sure why. 

Jared's lips quirked into a smile. “Yeah. I'm hoping maybe I’ll find a guy here, y’know?”

“A-A guy?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re--You like-- You do the gay?”

“I do, actually.”

“Oh, wow!” Evan exclaimed. “I-I like boys,” he said awkwardly. 

“Oh?”

“Y-Yeah,” Evan replied lamely. 

“Interesting. Do you have a particular type or anything? What are you into, Evan Hansen?”

“Is that really what we should, um, discuss on the first day of school?” Evan fidgeted with his shirt hem. 

Jared shrugged, smiling crookedly. “Better than small talk, right?”

“Doesn’t that make this small talk? Kinda?” Evan looked up awkwardly. 

“Small talk is hard, this is just talking about things you know. Easy.”

Evan blinked. “This? This isn’t– This isn’t easy.”

“Is it not?” Jared quirked an eyebrow. “It's just talking about things you like.”

“This is, um, incredibly hard.”

“What do you like, Ev?”

Evan blinked again. “U-Uh, p-plants?” 

Jared smiled. “Cute,” he muttered to himself.

Evan didn’t hear him. “I mean, I already told you that, so– Let’s get breakfast.” Every syllable out of his mouth made him want to go home even more. 

Jared nodded. “Right,” he agreed, holding open the door to the stairwell. “After you.”

“O-Oh, thanks,” Evan murmured, already feeling sweaty from embarrassment. 

“No problem,” Jared replied, eyes lingering as Evan passed him.

Evan stayed silent as he walked slowly down the stairs, hoping Jared would resume his lead and show him the way to the cafeteria. 

Jared caught up to him easily. “So, what do you do in your spare time?”

More smalltalk, huh? “Uh– I actually have a lot, um, of spare time, so I usually just read or write, y’know?” Evan looked at his feet as he walked. 

Jared grinned. “You write?”

“O-Occasionally?” Evan hoped that was okay. 

“What kinda stuff?”

“Uh, just stuff.” Evan wasn’t about to expose himself in front of Jared for writing exclusively plant based poetry.

Jared hummed. Definitely smut. 

Evan fidgeted on his heels. “What about you?”

Jared shrugged. “I like computers, I guess. Although it's not great because sometimes things happen and the computers end up very wet.” Jared once again held the door open once they reached the cafeteria entrance.

Evan walked through, but stopped on the other side. “Things? What kind of things could, um, make you lose control so easily?” Evan was used to being in control of his abilities, and it sounded strange to hear of someone who wasn’t. 

Jared gulped. “Uh, just things that get to be a lot, y’know? Like, uh, frustrating video games. And porn.”

“Oh, like Kirby’s Epic Yar– Porn?” Evan was thrown so far off guard he couldn’t even see it anymore. 

“Kirby's Epic Yarn is what you consider a hard game?”

“That’s what you’re concerned about?” Evan squeaked. 

“Absolutely!”

“It can get frustrating sometimes, okay?!”

Jared snorted, guiding Evan over to where the food was being served. “Sure.”

Evan huffed. It looked like they were the first two to arrive for breakfast. “Um, what do they have over there?” he asked, changing the subject. 

Jared hummed, squinting at the array of food. “Looks like food.”

“Oh, really? What a surprise.”

“I know, right?”

Evan gave him a look. 

“Biscuits, sausage, cereal, and muffins.”

“Great.” Evan decided he couldn’t go wrong with cereal. 

\---------

Michael groaned as his alarm roused him. 

Jeremy shot up instantly, wide awake. “I-Is that your phone?” he asked, breathing heavily. 

“Mm, yeah,” Michael muttered, shutting it off. “Ugh.”

Jeremy gulped. “That scared the shit out of me.”

“Sorry,” Michael yawned. “Didn't realize it was up so loud.”

“No, it’s fine,” Jeremy reassured. “Light sleeper.”

Michael paused. “How light?” Fuck, that could be as issue.

“Well, I dunno, just light. Why?”

“Uh,” Michael sat up, scratch his cheek idly. “Sometimes my power comes out while I'm dreaming.”

“Really?” Jeremy asked. “How?”

“Dunno. It just kinda happens, I guess.”

“Then I’ll try and sleep harder?”

“...Thanks? I think? I feel like I should be apologising in advance. So, y’know, sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Jeremy said. “You can’t help it.”

“Still,” Michael shrugged. “It might wake you up, y’know?”

“Then I’ll just go back to sleep,” Jeremy said, smiling. Michael was so easy to talk to. Usually Jeremy would be a sweating mess around a new person, but this was different. 

Michael smiled back. “Fair enough.” 

“Problem solved.”

Michael reluctantly crawled out of bed, standing up with a yawn.

“Are we late for class?” Jeremy had to ask. 

“Nah, we have like an hour.”

“Shit, I really have no concept of time.”

“God, what a mood.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> faaaaast burn. this is fast burn

Michael sighed heavily as he collapsed on his bed. “First day of magic school, done!”

Jeremy was already in their room. “That was the most nerve wracking first day of anything.”

“But we did it!”

“I survived it, but I didn’t _do_ it.” Jeremy sighed. “They didn’t even let us use our powers! Did you get to?”

Michael shrugged. “Nah. We'll get to eventually, though!”

“I’m just interested in what other people can do.” Jeremy laid back on his bed. “I think yours is super cool.”

“It's not that great. Basically just stupid mirages.”

“But it’s cool. Better than mine.”

Michael scoffed. “It think yours is cool. It can actually do something.”

“I-I don’t like using mine,” Jeremy countered. 

“I don't mean to use mine.”

“I liked your Pac Man!”

And just like that, another Pac Man appeared. “Fuck.”

“He’s here!” Jeremy sat up. “Hi! I love you!”

Michael whined. That was cute. “He shouldn't be here.”

Jeremy kept waving at the Pac Man. “I love him.”

Michael sighed, tossing a shoe at the apparition, making it fade away. 

“Woah, dude, can you make, like, another you?”

“Yeah, I can do both of us, if I want.” he hummed, sitting up.

“Seriously?! Dude, do it!” Jeremy was excited. 

Michael smiled a bit, focusing in on a thought of the pair of them until they appeared in the middle of the room.

Jeremy gasped. “Holy shit! Do I really look like that from the side? Fuck, you’re a lot taller than me than I thought.”

Michael hummed. “You can get closer, you know.”

“I’m not sure I want to,” Jeremy mumbled. The copy of him had all of his flaws, even the ones he couldn’t see himself. 

“Can't imagine why, you're cute.” Fuck.

“Huh?” Jeremy turned around. Michael had said things like that before, but it still caught him off guard.

“Huh?”

“I’m not cute.”

Michael scoffed. “Right, sure.”

“Ugly times two since there’s a ghost me.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “Liar.”

“Look at him!”

Michael did, the façade of himself fading as Jeremy's became more clear. “He's pretty.”

“Hey, why’s the good one disappearing? Bring him back!” 

Michael grunted. “You're so pretty.”

“No, you are, bring back the other you.” Jeremy pouted. 

Michael blushed, the apparition turning pink. 

“Wait why is it pink? Isn’t that your emotion?” Jeremy watched it closely. 

Michael shooed it away quickly. “Yeah, it is.”

“What was pink again?”

Michael muttered something under his breath. 

“Huh?”

“You called me pretty, okay? I can't help it when I get gay feelings.”

“Pink means gay?”

“Pretty much, since I'm gay.”

“I’m half gay. I guess. Not really.” Jeremy felt awkward. “Uh, I’m bi.”

“Oh!” Michael blinked. “That's– that's good!” A new apparition appeared. This one was also of the two of them, but this time they were facing each other. Michael shrieked. “No!”

“Dude, let ‘em talk! Don’t harsh their groove!” 

Then Jeremy's apparition counterpart started leaning in, way too much for it to be talking Michael practically threw himself into them, waving it away. “Fuck!”

Jeremy scoffed. “What was that for? They have the right to have a conversation.”

“Jeremy–” Michael was amazed that Jeremy was this dense, but also thankful. “You know they're not real, right?”

“Huh?”

“They weren't actually– _talking_ , it was just my brain. It's like a projector. They don't have thoughts and stuff. Just moving images.”

“Oh. You coulda made them talk then.”

“Yeah, but they wouldn't actually be talking.”

“But I would be happier.”

Michael chuckled. “Alright, sure. Next time I'll make them talk for you.”

“Yes! Great! Perfect! If they had real minds I might have been able to do it myself.” Jeremy sighed. 

Michael shrugged. “Sorry, Bud.”

“They would probably say the same stuff we do, anyway.”

“Subtle flirting and lots of nerd talk?”

“A hundred percent.”

“Great.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to be open with the one person I’ve clicked with,” Jeremy said. 

Michael laughed, hopping back onto his bed. “Only me?”

“Jared was nice, but you’re cool. Lifelong friendship, just wait.”

Michael smiled. “I'll hold you to that,” he warned.

“Good, hold me then.”

Michael held his arm open in offering. 

“Wait, seriously? That didn’t even make sense.” Jeremy stared at Michael’s arm. 

“You said to hold you. I'm gay, you're hot,” Michael shrugged. “I'm down.”

“Dude–” Jeremy would have protested, but he really couldn’t think of a reason why. “Fine, okay.”

Michael grinned, eyebrows raising. “Is this happening?”

“Sure, you’re my type.” Jeremy inched closer. 

“Oh?” Michael held his arms open again.

Jeremy hesitated. “This is you saying that, right? I-I’m not in your head making you agree?”

“Absolutely not, I'm all over this, my man.”

“Are you?”

“Fuck yeah. I'll kiss you of my own free will, right here and now.”

“That sounds a little f-forward!” Jeremy squeaked. 

Michael jolted. “Uh, I mean– I was just– uh, proving my point.”

“W-Well, it’s not my fault I have trust issues! I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t influencing you. Uh, no kisses. Y-yet. Give it time.”

“Y-Yet– Time, yes, of course! I'm not– I wasn't trying to–” Michael huffed, burying his face in his hands. “God, I fucked this up, huh? Now we're gonna be weird forever just because I'm a little bitch.”

“A bitch? No! I- No. Not a bitch. We moved away from home for new experiences! Let’s just give it a try! No risks!” 

“Huh?”

“I don’t know, I think out loud and it turns into rambling and– Let’s just– Look, we just met and we’re obviously into each other.” Jeremy sighed. “Let’s see where it takes us. And if it doesn’t work out, I wanna be your friend.”

Michael blinked. “For reals? Cause that sounds pretty fucking good to me.”

“Yeah, for reals. Gives me something to look forward to. I like you. The appeal of this place is gonna wear off soon, but I doubt yours will.”

Michael blushed, squeaking slightly. “Who knew you were so smooth,” he laughed. “You sure you don't think this is moving too fast? Don't get me wrong, I'm way into you, too. I just don't want you saying this just because you feel, like, pressured or something.”

“Nah, I need something like this. Really. The closer I am to people, the less likely I’ll accidentally screw with their minds, you know?” Jeremy coughed. “Anyway, I like you. It’s not too fast for me.”

Michael smiled. “Does this mean hugs are back on the table?”

“Definitely. Let’s be reckless teenagers. And hug.”

Michael laughed, standing up and stepping over to grab Jeremy's hand, pulling him into a hug. “Not to be weird but you smell nice.”

“Only weird if you let it be,” Jeremy laughed. He hugged the near stranger back. It felt nice. 

\----------------

Jared perked up when Evan entered their room. “Hey! How was your day?”

Evan jumped, not expecting immediate conversation. “Oh! Uh, it was– It was okay. I-I’m in those advanced classes, so we did a sort of show and tell? Of, uh, our abilities. It was fun.”

“That's good! Did you meet anyone interesting?”

“Oh, not really.” Evan walked over to his bed. “I didn’t really talk to anyone.”

Jared smiled timidly. “I think i made a few enemies.”

“You what? How?”

“I'm not great at… people.”

“Is there an explanation about to be told, or…?”

“I was rude.”

“That’s it? Rude enough to make enemies?”

“I can be _pretty_ rude.”

“But why?” Evan raised an eyebrow. 

Jared sighed, shrugging. “I don't mean to.”

“You weren’t rude to me.”

Jared nodded. “Things went surprisingly well with you.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Evan smiled. 

“Yes! Very good, actually.”

“Great! But please try to stop making enemies.”

Jared nodded solemnly. “I will if you try to make friends.”

“Hey, I have you! That’s more than I’ve ever had!”

“Same, but still!”

“How many do I have to make?” Evan asked in disappointment. 

“At least 2.”

“Including you?” Evan was hopeful. 

“Yes!”

“Thank god. One more person is bound to not hate me? Right?”

“Right!”

“R-Right. Shouldn’t be too hard.” Evan cleared his throat. “Did you guys get to use your powers in your classes today?”

“A little, yeah. I flooded a guy’s phone on accident.” It might not have been entirely accidental. The guy had been an asshole.

“Geez, is that why you have enemies? That was an accident, not being rude.”

“Mostly an accident.”

“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”

“He was being an asshole to this really sweet girl! She didn't deserve to be yelled at!”

“Still, we’re not supposed to use our magic to hurt people.” Evan tsked. “Was the girl okay?”

“Yeah, she thanked me. He almost made her cry, Ev! She was like 4’11”!”

“Okay, fine! You should have drowned his phone.” Evan blinked. “You’re taller than 4’11”?”

“Wow, that's so rude I'm like 5’7”!”

“Coulda fooled me.”

Jared pouted. 

“I don’t really have a concept of that kind of thing,” Evan admitted. “I dropped out of school.”

Jared paused. “But this is school.”

“You know what I meant. Public school.”

“Oh! Were you homeschooled, then?”

“Uh, not exactly. Kinda. My mom pulled me out of school to train me. But she taught me math and stuff too, I guess.”

Jared nodded understandingly. “She's magic too? That's so cool.”

“She’s the best. That’s why I get to skip all those intro classes.”

Jared smiled. “She sounds like a great mom.”

“She really is. I didn’t want to leave her, you know?” Evan frowned. 

Jared nodded. “Must be hard.”

“Mhm. Uh, what about you? Who’d you leave behind?” Evan couldn’t remember if they’d had this conversation before. 

Jared shrug, smiling lamely. “Just my parents. Nothing that out of the ordinary.””

“Mm,” Evan hummed awkwardly. “How’d they, um, take the news? That you had...y’know.” 

Jared shrugged. “They were a bit put out at first, but they got used to it.”

“Oh, good.” Evan coughed a little. “There was a girl in my class today who got kicked out when her parents found out.”

Jared winced. “Yikes.”

“I know. I just wanted to make sure you had a place to go back to, you know?”

Jared smiled. “You're a very kind person, aren't you.”

“Sorry,” was Evan’s immediate response. 

“Why sorry?”

“Huh? Oh.” Evan cleared his throat. “That’s just– It’s a reflex.”

“You reflexively apologize?”

“Yes?”

“Hm. You're very interesting, Evan Hansen.”

“Sor– Am I?”

Jared nodded, smiling. “It's a good thing.”

“Well,” Evan said, flustered. “You too.”

Jared grinned. “Thanks. Hey, do you wanna go pop in on the other two? Maybe we can all get to know each other. Hey, you can meet your friend quota with them!”

“Do you think they’re interested?” Evan asked with hope and doubt both evident in his voice. 

“Totally! They're new here too, after all.”

“Yeah, but...I dunno. Maybe they’re too cool.” Evan paused. “For me. Not for you. You’re cool.”

“Evan, I flood myself every time I nut. I'm not cool.”

“You– Oh, god. Why’d you bring that up again? I– Fine, let’s see if they’re in.” 

Jared lead Evan through the bathroom, not bothering to knock as he entered the room. “Hey, we–”

The two were greeted by Jeremy and Michael on Jeremy’s bed, the latter holding the former close to his chest, both staring at Jared and Evan. 

“Uh…” Jeremy hadn’t expected visitors. 

Michael coughed a bit. “Hi.”

Jared blinked. “Did you two already know each other or something?”

“No…” Jeremy trailed off.

Michael didn't move. “I'm Michael!”

Evan was red in the face. “I-I’m Evan?”

Jared nodded. “Jared.”

“Well, Jared, Evan,” Michael started. “I’ve known Jeremy, my roommate, for about two days but signs are pointing towards me being gay for him. So hands off.”

Jeremy smiled softly at the affection. “I’m bi for Michael, so hands off him too.”

Evan blinked. “O-Okay?”

Jared snorted. “Damn, you two work fast, huh?”

Michael smiled. “Gotta lock that shit down early, man.”

Jeremy nodded. “Someone woulda taken him if I waited any longer.”

Jared hummed, glancing at Evan. “Interesting. Maybe I should follow that advice.”

Evan jolted. “I thought you’d only made enemies.”

Jeremy quirked an eyebrow. “He’s already made enemies?”

“I have one prospect, right? You!”

Michael chuckled, watching from behind Jeremy. “Interesting move.”

Evan was quiet. “Maybe later,” he muttered. 

Jeremy cleared his throat. “Did you guys want something? What’s up?”

“Oh, right! We thought we'd come say hi! See if we could get to know each other a bit better. We are living together, after all.”

Evan nodded along with Jared. “Yeah, we wanted some friends.”

Michael reluctantly released Jeremy, sitting up. “You guys like video games?”

Evan smiled. “Kirby’s Epic Yarn!”

Jeremy sat up too. “Not exactly. We can show you.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is just a fun lil fic thats really going nowhere yknow? just a lil careless fun and fast burn uwu

Michael yawned, glancing over at Jeremy. “We should sleep.” It had been two weeks since they had started school. Two weeks since they agreed to see how things went between them. They hadn't kissed yet, but Michael didn't mind. Currently, they were watching some Netflix show together, huddled up together on Michael's bed. They had decided to stay up late, since it was a Friday.

“God, you’re right,” Jeremy said. “I need tomorrow to work on that big presentation of powers thing.”

Michael chuckled. “I'll help, if you want.”

“I dunno, man, you wouldn’t want me to practice on you.” Jeremy paused. “I’m already a week behind the due date, though…”

“I don't mind. I've got nothing better to do, anyway.”

“Anything is better than this. My power, I mean.”

Michael chuckled. “I like your power.” 

“Mind control?”

“Yeah, it's cool! It's like X-Men or something.” 

“X-Men is cool,” Jeremy mumbled. 

“You're cool,” Michael urged, nudging Jeremy.

“Fine,” Jeremy said. “Guess I can try it on you.”

Michael perked up. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, sure. I really do need to practice.”

“Cool!” Michael leaned over, kissing Jeremy's cheek.

Jeremy felt himself blush. “But sleep for now.”

“Right.” Michael sighed, reluctantly releasing Jeremy from his grip to close his laptop. 

“Netflix isn’t a career, but I wish it was,” Jeremy said, yawning and standing up. 

“God, me too.” Michael dropped his laptop down onto a pillow that had fallen onto the floor. He kicked off his jeans, dropping those as well. 

Jeremy had already changed into sleeping pants. “Well, uh, goodnight.”

“Night, Jerm.” Michael smiled, slipping under his blankets. 

Jeremy got into his own bed. “Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

Michael chuckled. “Sleep tight.”

\-------

Evan woke up at 5:28 in the morning. The sun had barely shown itself over the hill outside his window. Although Jared ought to be used to it by now, Evan didn’t want to disturb his slumber. 

Jared, noticing that Evan was awake, tossed a banana at him. “Good morning!” He hadn't slept.

Evan jolted. “Wh– Why are you aw– Where did this come from?!”

“My hands! I was eating bananas in bed.”

“ _What?_ ” Evan asked. 

“Did you sleep well?”

“Uh, yeah, I slept fine, why were you eating bananas in bed before dawn?”

Jared shrugged, sitting up. “I was hungry.”

“But where’d they come from?”

“The store.”

“When?”

“Dunno.”

“Is this normal for you?” Evan sat up too. 

“I didn't sleep! So yeah.” 

“Wait, why didn’t you sleep? Did I snore? Did something happen?”

Jared shook his head. “Nah, just wasn't tired.”

“That’s unhealthy, but so is a sleep schedule based solely on if I can feel sunlight.”

Jared just shrugged. “It's Saturday. Wanna do something?”

“Like what? You’ve gotta be sick of the greenhouses by now.” Evan had been dragging Jared to the gardens every time he had the chance. 

“I like the greenhouses! It's fun watching how excited you get. And really cute.”

A rosebud threatened to come up through the floor as Evan blushed. He quickly snapped his fingers and the flower wilted. “Okay, but it has to be somewhat boring by now.”

“Watching you be cute will literally never be boring.” Jared grinned stupidly.

“That’s not fair! We never do anything you like.” Evan fidgeted with his blanket. “We could go swimming?”

Jared hesitated. “Do you like swimming?”

“I like being watered.”

“I feel like that's different.”

“What’s the harm? I could sit on the edge and you could splash me. You seem like a splashy type.”

Jared hummed. “Splashing is fun.” He pondered it. “I feel like you would be bored.”

“Do you swim shirtless?” Evan heard himself ask. He hadn’t meant to say it out loud, not in a million years, but he stopped himself from rambling trying to take it back. 

Jared quirked an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“Then I wouldn’t be bored,” Evan said. Better to tell the truth than stumble over a lie. 

Jared blinked. “Oh?’’

“Y-Yeah, so we can go if you want.”

Jared smiled. “Will you take your shirt off too?”

“I-I might.” 

Jared hummed. “Then I'm down.”

“I dunno what you expect to see,” Evan mumbled. 

“God's gift.”

“Great.” Evan was starting to blush again. 

“I'd say.” Jared winked, hopping out of bed to go get ready.

————

Jeremy gulped, sitting at eye level with Michael. “You sure about this? I’ve never really used my ability on people I like. I-Intentionally, anyway.” 

Michael nodded. “Maybe it'll help you get better control over it!”

“God, that’s the dream, huh?”

“Yeah, so go ahead.”

“Alright, uh, I guess try to resist it?” Jeremy focused hard. He thought at Michael to suggest that he pick up the pillow next to him on the bed.

Michael picked it up instantly. “Woah. Cool. I will admit, I didn't try to resist that. At all.”

Jeremy’s expression was flat. “I could tell.”

“I'm sorry! I'll resist for real this time, promise.”

“Good.” Jeremy refocused, shooting his thoughts at Michael. This time, they were asking him to kiss the pillow, something Jeremy thought Michael would want to resist anyway. 

Michael's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he told himself not to do that. He smiled at Jeremy.

Jeremy smiled back, psychically telling Michael that, yes, he really did want to do that. 

Michael's eyes narrowed, lips quirking up as he resisted. 

Jeremy concentrated harder. He felt his eye twitch, but ignored it. 

Michael really felt like kissing that pillow. He fought the growing urge, making an executive decision as he leaned forward, kissing Jeremy instead. 

Jeremy was caught completely off guard. He only froze for a moment before closing his eyes and kissing back. 

Michael leaned into the kiss, forgetting about Jeremy's powers. 

Jeremy only pulled away when a thought crossed his mind. “I-I didn’t make you do that, did I?”

“No, sorry, that was all me, buddy.” Michael smiled softly. “Is- Is that okay?”

Jeremy nodded stiffly. “Wh– Yeah, yeah, of course it is.”

Michael hesitated. “Can I do it again?”

“Please?”

Michael instantly pressed forward, connecting their lips again. It was slightly more coordinated than the last one, despite Michael's glasses digging into his face. 

Jeremy’s hand was soon on the back of Michael’s head, his fingers in his hair. He closed his eyes again, telling himself Michael wanted to do this on his own, and it wasn’t because of his influence. 

Michael pressed himself closer, tilting his head for a better angle. All the could think of was Jeremy, which is probably why a second Jeremy appeared close by, smiling sweetly at nothing. Michael ignored it.

Jeremy didn’t notice the mirage. He kept their kiss going, his free hand flat on Michael’s chest between them. 

Michael opened his mouth under Jeremy's, wondering why they had waited so long. His hands were on Jeremy's hips, holding him close.

Jeremy deepened the kiss, unable to stop a small grunt from escaping into Michael’s lips. He felt safe there with Michael holding him. 

Michael eventually broke away for air, pecking the corner of Jeremy's lips and then his cheek as he pulled him into a hug, dropping his chin down to Jeremy's shoulder. 

Jeremy cracked an eye open, grinning. “Hey there.”

“Hey,” Michael murmured. “How are ya?”

Jeremy chuckled. “I’m fantastic, you?”

“Really really good.”

“I’ll make you kiss that pillow one day.”

Michael chuckled. “We'll see.”

Jeremy figured Michael was off guard enough, and smiled as he sent the same thoughts as earlier toward the taller boy. 

Michael jolted, tsking as he forced himself to resist. “Playing dirty now, huh, Heere?” he grinned.

Jeremy shrugged. “I just figured since there’s a fake me standing over there, you’d let me get to you? So we’re even?”

“Huh?” Michael pulled away, turning to look at the mirage. “God damn it.”

“Kiss the pillow, Michael.”

“I'll kiss your pillow, Jerm.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“That makes no sense, but sure, okay.” Jeremy sighed. “If I can’t make someone kiss a damn pillow, how am I supposed to impress my psychic teacher?”

Michael kissed Jeremy's cheek. “I'm sure if you really really wanted to you could make me do it.”

“I do really really want to!”

“I think you're holding back.”

“I’m trying my hardest!”

“That doesn't mean you're not holding back.”

“What does that even mean?” Jeremy asked. 

“It means hit with all you got!”

“I was!”

“If you're scared, you're holding back.”

“Fine! I’ll try!” Jeremy huffed. 

Michael nodded. “Good.” He pulled away from Jeremy, settling back down. “Go for it.”

Jeremy took a deep breath and told himself there was no way he could hurt Michael if he was doing something harmless. He stared the other boy in the eyes and sent psychic messages about how soft the pillow would be against his lips. 

Michael didn't stand a chance. He didn't even have an opportunity to resist. He pressed the pillow to his mouth. “Oh.”

Jeremy’s eyes lit up. “Did I do that or did you do that to make me stop?”

Michael still had the pillow pressed to his face, muffling his words. “Wasn't me.”

“You can stop kissing it now, you know.”

“Uh, Can I?” Michael didn't think he wanted to.

“Yes?”

Michael put the pillow down. “Hi.”

“Hello.”

“You're strong.”

“Not really?” Jeremy looked at his arms. Noodles. 

Michael shook his head. “Your powers. You're strong.”

“You probably just didn’t resist the same that time.”

“I didn't have time!”

“Liar.”

“I swear to god!” Michael threw his hands up. “It hit too hard and fast.”

“Just–” Jeremy pinched his nose. “Just let me try again with something you won’t anticipate.”

“Fine.”

Jeremy sat up straight. “Just relax.”

Michael nodded, but then paused. “Wait,” he leaned forward, stealing a sweet kiss. “Ok, go.”

Jeremy smiled bashfully, but got back to business. The first thing that came to his mind was getting Michael to take his shirt off. 

Michael blushed, his fingers creeping towards the hem of his shirt. He tried to resist but god, it seemed like a _really_ good idea.

Jeremy kept telling Michael how much he wanted to do it. He kept on a sweet smile. 

Michael squeaked a bit, tugging his shirt off. “Very sly, Heere.”

Jeremy winked. “Looking good.”

Michael snorted. “Horny bastard.”

“What I do in the mornings is my business.”

Michael laughed. “Right.”

“Anyway, thanks for stripping.”

“Right.” Michael chuckled.

“I dunno what else to try,” Jeremy said, sighing. 

Michael shrugged. “I just kinda wanna kiss some more.”

Jeremy looked down. “Fine, me too,” he mumbled. 

Michael smiled, leaning close. “Thank God.”

“When I fail this presentation thing, this is why.” Jeremy leaned in to close the distance. 

———swimming

Jared bounced on his feet at the sight on the water. “Do you like swimming, Ev? Come in with me!”

Evan stared at him. “Oh, I don’t know how to swim.”

“What?!”

“Oh, I said I don’t know how to swim.”

Jared shrieked. “Why not?! Swimming is important to know!”

“Sorry!” Evan said. “My mom just didn’t want me overwatered! I’m literally a plant!”

Jared pouted. “You absorb _all_ water you touch? What about showers?!”

“I only have the water on when I need it.”

“What?!”

“Well, you know.” Evan fidgeted with his shirt hem. “I get, um, wet, and then I turn it off, and then I use some soap, a-and then I turn it back on to rinse.” He coughed. “Washing my hair is a process.”

Jared frowned. “That makes me sad.”

“Sorry,” Evan said again. “You can still splash me, remember?”

“What if you fall in?!’’

“My vines’ll catch me, they’re smart.”

Jared looked nervous.

“Jared, I’ve been doing this for years. I’m a power expert. Not to brag.”

“Fine.” Jared moved over to the edge of the pool, grinning as he looked at the water. “Bet you I can do a lap in a minute.”

Evan smiled. “Probably faster.”

Jared tugged his shirt off, hopping into the pool.

Evan sat on the ground, watching Jared go. The lifeguard seemed to be surprised at how fast he could swim. 

After a couple minutes, Jared's head popped up over the edge of the pool. “Evan!”

Evan smiled. “Hi!”

Jared beamed. “Take your shirt off! I don't wanna get it wet when I splash you!”

“Uh, sure.” Evan hesitantly tugged it off, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

Jared pouted, spitting some water near him. “Don't be shy!”

“Uh, you won’t like it,” Evan assured. 

“I already like it.”

“You can’t see anything!” Evan shrieked. 

“I see you. That's all I need.” Jared grinned.

“Sap.”

Jared shrugged, splashing some water at Evan. 

Evan was back to smiling. “Thanks.”

“Hey, Ev?”

“Hey?”

“You're a cutie.” Jared sunk back under the water.

“Hey!” Evan called, but Jared was gone. He took his arms off his body to brace himself as he leaned over the edge of the pool. 

Jared popped back up, beaming. “That's so cute! You have flowers instead of chest hair!”

Evan huffed, crossing his arms again. “You weren’t supposed to see that.”

Jared tsked, reaching up to tug at Evan's arm. “No, it's cute!”

Evan held his arm firmly in place. “It’s not freakish?” There were a few students whose abilities manifested physically, such as the boy with gills and the younger girl with scales down her arms. Evan supposed Jared didn’t mind. 

“No way! I love it!” Jared smiled widely.

Evan tried not to smile. “Flower chest hair? You love it?”

“It's adorable!”

“It’s not _adorable_.” Evan fought against a blush.

“It is.” Jared splashed him again.

Evan reluctantly put his arms down again. “Fine. But if you want me to keep my arms away, you have to beat your lap record.”

Jared's eyes lit up. “Deal!”

Evan grinned. “Go on, then. Be a creature of the deep.”

Jared laughed, sinking down below the surface easily.

Evan watched him go, amazed at what he could do. 

It took Jared a couple attempts, but eventually he did manage to set a new record for himself. Just barely. He popped back up in front of Evan.

“I knew you could do it!” Evan praised. “You should try for the Olympics. Is that cheating?”

Jared shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Maybe not then. Show me what else you can do.”

Jared beamed, nodding. He sunk back under the water, but this time he seemed to disappear completely. He was nowhere to be seen.

Evan’s smile faltered. He stood up to see more of the water. “Jared?” He was gone? 

A second later, he was back, suddenly popping out of the water again. “Surprise!”

Evan jolted, backing up in surprise. “How’d you do that?!”

“I turned into water!”

“You turned into _water_? Your whole body?!”

“Uh huh!”

“That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” Evan felt comfortable around Jared. A lot of his anxiety washed away when the shorter boy was around. Which meant sometimes he got a little excited and yelled. 

Jared beamed. “Really?” 

“Duh! I don’t see a lot of cool things. Mom kept me kinda sheltered.”

Jared nodded understandingly. “I'm glad I can be cool to you!”

“You have been since we met, Jared,” Evan assured. “Can you do anything else?”

Jared blushed a bit. “Yeah, but I'm actually kinda tired of the pool. Maybe we can go get ice cream or something?”

“Oh, they have ice cream here?”

“No, but they do at the ice cream place in town.”  


“Wait. We’re allowed to leave?” Evan was perplexed. 

“Yeah? Why wouldn't we be?”

“Because we’re, I dunno, different?” 

“What, we can't go on dates because we're magic?”

“Dates?”

“Oh,” whoops. “Hey, Evan, wanna go out on a date? Ice cream date?”

“With you?”

“With me!”

“Yes!”

Jared grinned widely. “Awesome!”

“I love ice cream!” Evan smiled sweetly. 

“Good.”


End file.
